Whitley Z6939 near Linton on Ouse airfield.
On the 30th of September 1941 the crew of this aircraft had been diverted to land at Linton on Ouse after Ops
to Stettin but flew into trees at
04.20hrs alongside the lane to Fall Gates Farm at the west side of the airfield. The aircraft caught fire on crashing.
Sadly two of the five crew were killed and one later died of his injuries in York Military Hospital.
Pilot - Sgt George B Watters RAFVR (912095), aged ? Of ? Buried Morningside Cemetery, Edinburgh.
2nd Pilot - Sgt Robert Hayden RAF (611997), aged 23, of Leytonstone. Buried Manor Park Cemetery, Essex.
Obs - Sgt John E Turner RAAF (406018), aged 36, of Swanbourne, Western Australia. Died of injuries on 4th October 1941. Buried Newton on Ouse Churchyard, Yorkshire.
WOp/AG - Sgt W Cawthorne, injured.
AG - Sgt G McHugh RCAF, injured
Sgt Hayden and Sgt Turner's gravestones.
John Turner was born in February 1905 in Perth and enlisted there in April 1940. He was above average age when he enlisted
and had already done some basic military training and some civilian flying. After basic training he arrived in the UK and trained
at 19 OTU in June and July 1941 before being posted to 58 Squadron on 13th August 1941. His discharge papers
after his death a state he was "a fine Air Observer who died of
injuries received in a crash when returning from operations."
It is possible that Sgt McHugh was infact one Gerald F McHugh RCAF (R/54884), who was killed on 30th September
1942 flying as tail gunner
in Stirling BF328 with 149 Squadron. He was 31 years old and originally from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.